


Friends with Deals

by sunlitflowers



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, Denial of Feelings, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Past - One Night Stand, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 08:51:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7677961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlitflowers/pseuds/sunlitflowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>heavily inspired by the book 'The Boss' because i love that dynamic between these two crazy kids.</p><p>There has only been one man in Belle French's life that has ever been able to completely satisfy her: a mysterious man who slept with her and left the next minute.</p><p>Now, years later, she is surprised to find him again. As her new boss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

For the past year and a half, Belle’s life as first assistant to Regina Mills, literary agent for H. Daniel’s Book Publishing, was nothing short of totally glamorous. She spent time doing anything from reading a book to pass towards Regina in hopes that an aspiring author would get published to dressing up in cartoon characters for her son’s birthday. It was no way how she’d envisioned her professional career, but she thought she was finally getting a firmer handle on things. Except for this day. The day started with her pouring coffee on a white blazer, smelled constantly the garlic coming from the break room fridge, and found lipstick all over her teeth while she flirted with a breakfast guy. It all made sense that things were going downed in retrospect. 

Belle reported at seven o’clock after picking up Regina’s breakfast made special for her before opening everyday except Fridays when she fasted. Belle also grabbed a coffee for herself and one for Ruby, the second assistant. Belle set out the breakfast on Regina’s priceless china ahead of her perfect 7:15 arrival and then emailed a copy of her schedule to the necessary people. She then noticed it was five minutes before Regina’s showing up and there wasn’t even a sound from her. When Regina didn’t come into work by 8:30 Belle started panicking. Her voice mail was full and nobody seemed to know anything. As she looked out the tall glass windows she saw everyone freaking out just as badly as she was. Then came in the rumors. People were gossiping over phones that Regina was out. 

Shit. If Regina was out, did that mean Belle should start job searching? She sat down on the floor in Regina’s office and began eating the breakfast Regina wouldn’t be having that morning and grew stressed if they would reimburse her for that. The only way Regina was out was if the agency was going down. Would they be able to pay her? This place couldn’t run without Regina. She was the single block left at the center of a Jenga tower. In the eighteen years she’d run the agency, she had only ever taken one sick day. People whispered theories about what really went down that day with a look of fear in the eyes. Regina taking an unscheduled day off plunged the office into a frenzy. There was no way Belle was going to go out there and look at the manic panic today. She could hear noises going down on the other side that made her shudder. 

Hearing voices coming in, Belle realized she would have to at some point or another. She sighed, smoothing down her black skirt and straightened back her shoulder. Belle’s confidence got shot down quickly seeing the man leading the others into the room. Her pulse drowned out every other sound in the room as she took him in. Purple silk shirt beneath a gray jacket, open collar, no tie, different from the casual Ted scattered all over that hotel room floor years ago. Her throat felt like it had taken a vacation which meant she wasn’t going to puke everything she had eaten in stress all over his crocodile leather shoes. Belle watched his lips form the words. Recognition flickered across his face and she braced herself for the impact of the words that may follow. 

“Are you Ms Regina’s assistant?” 

Her blood went to her head as if everyone knew their secret and the impact of his words. Belle was much better than acting on these impulses. “Yes, sir.” 

“Eli Gold, Gold and Cassidy.” He offered her his hand.

Belle knew that name, of course. She’d said it over and over a million times in one night and then periodically thereafter when she was a little too lonely. She wasn’t going to say that though. Not when he didn’t remember her. When they’d spent the night together he said he worked for an agency. Apparently he left out the part where he owned agencies. 

“Bad deal, dearie.” It sounded apologetic in his gorgeous Scottish accent that still did nasty things to her core. 

Belle finally took his hand, ironing the zings that sent pleasure to every center in her brain. She knew this hand and the way that it had pleased her in a way that she had yet been able to mimic. Her concentration was shook and she couldn’t grasp the reality of what the hell was going on. “You’re telling me.”

“I don’t want you to panic. Can you stay on for a few weeks? You can train whoever ends up as your replacement and we can find something here that’s a better fit.”

“I would be delighted.” 

In actuality, she knew it was all going to hit her eventually. With Regina and a job gone, she was tainted and going to see it in the face of everyone she could even possibly interview with. She was going to have to move back to Australia to work with her father in that small little flower shop. 

“We’ll be meeting with a few other agents which I don’t need you for. I do need something to eat if you can find something for me to eat and be back here at ten for the office announcement.” 

Belle looked at him as though he were crazy for not wanting it fifteen minutes ago. He raised a brow and turned her knees into pure jelly. She was just another thing to him. “Is that not enough time?”

“Anything specific?” One of the other men who didn’t send her into an oh-god-we-fucked-before panic rolled his eyes. 

“I don’t care, just enough for the room.” 

“Coffee?”

“Tea for me.” Of course. 

“Do you prefer green, black, or there’s a place with any flavor you could name of.” 

Mr Gold took a step closer. “I know Regina was strict and I’m not saying I won’t be, but I’m not going to fire you for bringing the wrong tea.”

It wasn’t good for Belle not working for someone who was exceptionally particular (as if her ego needed another bruising on that thought!). Her job was so much easier when Regina just spit a coffee, black, mug in her face. Now she had to worry if they needed sugar, if they wanted a specific kind of cup and if it had to be recycled material or not. Specific demands meant no decisions. Belle had to go against every one of her instincts. She knew she wasn’t going to be a servant forever. Someday she was going to get the job she wanted and have someone doing this for her. It’s what they meant by dog-eat-dog world. Getting someone their high priced drink until she could get someone to bring her a sweet iced tea in a glass. If Eli Gold wanted whatever, she would get whatever and kind of hope he choked on it. 

She called Ruby as she stood in a coffee shop overlooking the chalkboard menu and quietly explained the new details about their new boss. “Always thought he was an asshole. He stole your plane ticket, Belle.” 

Belle tended to overlook that issue when she spent quality time with her little toys. It also turned out to be the best thing in the world for her. “I wouldn’t have gone to Boston U and I wouldn’t have met you.”

“As great as I’ve made your life. What are you going to do?” 

And that was the question of the day. This kind of thing didn’t exactly happen every day. It wasn’t supposed to. Belle hung up the phone after they said their goodbyes. She waited in line to pick up bagels and her night drifted back to meeting Eli Gold. She was waiting for her plane to Scotland out of Maine. She was supposed to have gotten on a plane to Boston, but got scared and changed it to an international flight. He’d been forty and she’d hardly been eighteen. They sat next to each other and before she could even think about anything they spent the night doing things she only read about. In the morning, she woke up to find him gone and her ticket to Scotland with him. Four thousand dollars were in its place wrapped in a note for her to go to Boston. She was still pissed, but grateful deep down underneath it all. He had no right and hadn’t known her at all, but she wouldn’t be where she was if he didn’t. 

Of course, where she was now was soon to be jobless and working for a man who’d given her the best night anyone could ask for and then not remember her. In a single morning everything had gone from decent to completely horrible. In the ride back up to the offices, Belle made a deal with herself to not think about it. She would not remember his voice canted low against her ear while his hands did everything his voice said he was going to. She wouldn’t remember his tie restraining her hands behind her back or the cool water on her….She may as well quit then and there and head to the unemployment line if that was her line of attack. There was no way she’d forget that night while working with him every single day. 

Belle tapped on the half-open door. He was already on the phone talking confidently with an author about getting him to do an interview in May. Belle wondered if she’d still be there then or if she’d watch it on the television through a shop glass while living on the streets. Mr Gold glanced up, then away as he motioned her in. Belle raised her chin and walked herself over to Gold’s desk and dropped the bag of bagels and condiments neatly on the desk. He covered his mouthpiece of the phone with his hand.

“Thank you, Belle.”

She nodded and stepped back before turning away from the desk. Just as she closed the door to Mr Gold’s office behind her, it hit. She hadn’t given him her name.


	2. Chapter 2

The promise that Belle made to herself about not thinking about having sex with Eli Gold flew out the window after she decided that he was just pretending not to recognize her. They assembled in the main offices for the announcement. Gold and Cassidy had purchased H. Daniel’s from their parent company, but things would stay roughly the same. Eli Gold addressed everyone briefly then let the management team take over. He looked around surveying each person he’d now added to his collection. All Belle could think was that everyone could tell. They couldn’t possibly, but she knew it. She went through the morning with a state of paranoia. Whenever Mary Margaret asked what she thought about the new boss she nearly shouted about how she didn’t think about him. 

It was all over the office about what he’d gotten rid of already. Those that naively were working here to procure a book deal of their own were heavily disappointed. Some were defending all expense paid trips to France in order to do research being canceled by being a good thing if Regina was just going to let them do it anyway. Belle couldn’t stand it if they all turned Team Gold in one day. She’d seen everyone go from petrified about their jobs to being charmed by that gorgeous smile and she was taking it personally. There was one, Sidney Glass, that was actually storming out. He came here to work for Regina Mills, the holiest of holies in his mind. There was no prestige in working anywhere else. He complained about having to go for an ‘old person’s book company’ as though their existence caused him to age just as well. Belle scrunched her face at that slander, but Glass did have a point. H. Daniel’s was the book agency and what got printed through them was what was read by the western world. Belle wondered if Gold and Cassidy could hold the same regard and be admired by the people who mattered if it shared a parent company with book agencies alleged with sex scandals. 

Belle’s phone buzzed. She didn’t recognize who it was from, but she could surmise it was from Gold when the phone was beckoning her to a place dubbed ‘my office’. She walked over to the closed doors and knocked. 

“Come in.”

She could hardly handle talking to him in an office of associates. Now, with them gone and they alone, panic washed over her. His jacket was off and sleeves were rolled up. He smiled at her when she stood in front of him. Of course Mr Gold wasn’t uncomfortable around her. Knowing her name didn’t necessarily mean that he did remember her. He gestured to the classic white chair in front of Regina’s desk. He was just waiting for the right time to fire her. 

“As for lunch, no red meat.” 

Belle sighed in relief. She wasn’t fired and had been given a specific request. 

“I’ll usually have breakfast at home. I will have lunch here and today I need this sent to City Hall before closing.” She wrote all of this down and caught his half smile. 

Eli Gold had smiled like that when she’d finally gotten up the courage to talk to him. She hadn’t felt pretty at all, but wanted to sound grown up and knowledgeable about the world. She’d asked if it was his first time going to Scotland. And he’d smiled that way that made her now simultaneously want to jump in his lamp and hate him. He’d said no, but I bet it’s yours. 

“Do you have any questions?” He had to be fucking with her. Belle could just picture herself asking if he’d remembered picking up a girl in an airport, fucking her brains out, and then robbing her of true freedom. 

“Will that be all?”

“Yes, I believe it will. Thank you, Emilie.” 

There was the cherry on top of the cake of her entire adult life. The woman she’d thought of as a mentor apparently thought of her as a piece of furniture. The man she’d compared every potential date to for the last six years didn’t remember sex with her. That he couldn’t remember her name, her job was looking more temporary by the second. Belle had a terrible habit of crying when angry and right then she was furious. She couldn’t do that, not in front of him. Belle got to her feet and he rose as well. 

“Are you alright?”

“No. I’m not.” Belle weighed the highs and lows of what she wanted to say next. She looked him dead in the eyes. “Boston airport. Newark Hotel. That’s why I’m upset.” 

The color drained from his face. Belle took a second of pleasure from his clear discomfort. He would damn well remember her name. 

“Yes, take the rest of the day. We’ll talk tomorrow.” 

Belle left and closed the door behind her. She stood at her desk and contemplated clearing it out now or waiting. She couldn’t stand in the place a moment longer. She grabbed her coat and purse and left without saying a word. She went home to an apartment nearly filled with blue smoke from her roommate doing weed by the window. Belle changed out of her expensive work clothes and washed off her makeup and slipped into her pajamas. She took a hot bath and joined Ruby for a drink and not much else. They talked about how completely shitty this was now that they were face to face, but it was like anal was the equivalent to a devoted, long time commitment. Belle knew that, but it still left her scarred across the heart. For now, she and Ruby ordered Chinese takeout and a pizza and they took bets on which would get their first. They met at the same time nearly an hour later when Ruby passed out. Belle paid and tossed the stuff into the kitchen with the rest of the leftovers. 

Belle locked up and went to bed. She drew circles in the patterns and thought. She had enough savings put aside that she could pay rent and bills for a few months. She’d collected designer bags and clothes that she could keep herself in consignment shop money if she needed to sell those. She’d sell it all if she had to. Maybe he wouldn’t fire her. Eli seemed like a decent guy who had grown from what he’d done to her emotionally six years ago. His guilt might motivate him to keep her with a well timed threat, but that would impact so many lives she didn’t know about with him if he had a relationship and a family. He’d left her enough money to go to Scotland if she wanted. He’d been horrible and controlling without knowing her reasons for leaving, but it wasn’t worth ruining other lives and sacrificing her own morals to keep a job. 

Just thinking about him doing this same thing of pining for her the last six years still excited her more than any other lover in that time. Gold still got to her and would after he fired her tomorrow. She didn’t want Gold. She wanted Eli, the charming and beautiful and glorious Scottish stranger at the airport. She still wanted him. Her body began to ache as it always did. Belle rolled onto her back and pressed her thighs together. She slipped her hand between them. In her memory, his lips brushed against her ear as he asked what she wanted while pressed against the wall of the hotel room. She’d only been with one person before him and tried to think of the sexiest thing that she could. Belle asked him to spank her, stuttering and shy. Her fingers rolled over her flesh beneath the blankets, she sighed, eyes closing. He had smiled and promised if that’s what she wanted, he’d do it for her. Belle had been embarrassed by her request, but no longer. She took in a breath and could still feel herself lying across his lap in only her cotton thong. She could still feel the gentle smooth circles over her backside. 

Belle shifted her legs, slipping down further into the blankets. Her blood pounded remembering the first hard smack. He’d soothed it with the same hand and given her another and another. She’d been terrified of the possibility of him stopping if she couldn’t handle it. Eli’s fingers, long and talented and perfected pulled her thong up tight against her soaked cunt from the cab ride and the elevator teasing. Another smack while two of his fingers pushed in and out of her. The tight hot feeling gripped her pelvis now just as it had been there. He’d done exactly as she asked without knowing how torturous, shocking, and amazing it felt later. She had cried one desperate please, echoing it now, twisting closer and closer to the edge. Her cunt grasped her two fingers just as it had done his, another on her clit until she fell over the edge. Her legs quivered and jerked. Now alone in her bedroom, Belle swore to the empty darkness. She’d just gotten off to a fantasy of reality about her boss. As good as it made her feel, it was now worse by miles and she still had to face him as he probably fired her.


	3. Chapter 3

Belle dressed ready for the day. She imagined she’d be fired by at most ten O’Clock and after that, she could drop off her resume at a few places. She dressed in high waisted trousers and a structured yellow jacket over a white blouse. She wore her bangles and eyeshadow in shades of silver for combat. If this was her last day, she was going to to go out swinging fire in terms of looking her damn best. She achieved the look of careless waves after an hour of working on her hair and applied her best smelling rose lotion. Ruby was still out on the couch, but muttered a ‘good luck’ when she heard Belle bustling around the room. She got her coffee and breakfast at the usual stop in better time, which she was glad about. She didn’t want to be late to getting fired. She even caught an on time bus. Something was going to go right today. There wasn’t going to be any fall out. She’d moped around and now it was time to let go of a situation she couldn’t control. 

Belle punched the time clock on her computer and started transferring her personal files to an external hard drive. She cleared out her internet history and wipe a contact list to not give any kind of help to her replacement. Everyone had to start from somewhere. She checked her phone at a quarter after eight to find no messages from Mr Gold. With Regina, the crises would have been raining down by now. Whoever had covered foe Belle emailed his schedule for the week and a list of things that had to be done that morning. Strange, considering she had planned on getting fired today. She shrugged it off, figuring it an mistake. The double doors opened and Eli Gold walked in wearing a long wool coat that he shrugged off the moment he stepped inside. Belle jumped up out of habit to take it from him. 

“Good morning, Belle.” His tone was fake and he failed to maintain eye contact.

“Good morning.” She replied, fixing her eyes right on him with a sadistic little thrill. “Coffee, black?”

“Yes, thank you.” He recovered using the same strategy Belle had. “Set the thermostat to sixty-five. It’s warm in here.”

“Certainly.” Belle smiled while thinking over and vier in her head that she’d seen him naked. He headed for the office while she opened the coat closet to obtain a hanger.

“Belle.” 

She stopped and turned. He stood in front of his door watching her. She had won and Mr Gold was about to bring up what happened. Belle wanted to gloat, but she just felt sick to her stomach. His expression was an apology written in human facial features. Her body went entirely still as an energy full of promised passed between them. It was the same as when she’d seen him across the airport. They were back there again. In that moment of perfect trust, when they could have talked, his associate walked through the door and deposited his coat across her desk. Belle hurried to hang up to coats while she and Eli Gold pretended their little staring contest of tense magnetics was over. Belle dropped into her chair and went on autopilot for the first hour of her day. She fell back into the comfortable routine she’d been in just a few days ago. At around lunch, he emerged and stopped beside her desk and asked her to join him. She went to the closet for their coats and found surprise when he moved to take hers. 

“I got it.” Belle said as pleasantly and gracious as she could. She followed him through the lobby as she’d done with Regina.

“You’re my assistant not a Lamb.” He sounded slightly perturbed by this. 

They rode down in the elevator standing side by side in an, what she felt was, awkward. Much like she assumed men’s bathrooms must be. They walked across the lobby with everyone staring at the man who’s freed them from the feared, Evil Queen. From the set of his jaw, she figured he noticed the attention as well. When the car pulled up, Mr Gold opened the door for her. Belle clenched her teeth and closed it herself. They sat in the backseat with a partition between them and driver. There was a center console between them that she was thankful for. He gave their destination to the driver through pushing a button and they were left to a quiet ride. The silence between them was sharpened to a fine pencil point. Mr Gold leaned against the door and looked out unto traffic. 

“I do remember, Belle.” 

The words took her breath away, but she was determined not to let him enchant her again. “You didn’t yesterday.”

“I’ve never forgotten you.” He said this as though he couldn’t believe anybody would think he’d let her just pass from his memory. “The Belle I knew was going to Scotland to find herself. I never thought I’d see you.”

“Never wanted to, more like it.” Belle looked out the window and thought of how many people she wouldn’t rather be. She had always been more angry about never seeing him again than how he’d left. 

“You were so bright and being so stupid. It wasn’t my place to stop you from making a mistake.” Belle always imagined him doing this, but not calling her stupid in the process. “I’m glad you went to Boston University.”

When she looked back at him, the magnets were back. She took a shaky breath. “It got me a good job. Am I going to keep it?” 

“We’ve arrived, Mr Gold.” 

“I wouldn’t fire you because we slept together. You’ve been with the company longer. That’s not what this lunch is for.” He explained as if he could read her mind. 

They entered the restaurant and he mentioned something about reservations. At the table, she expected him to order something crazily expensive. But when she ordered the coffee and water, he followed suit. They looked at a menu and he gave their order in perfect pronunciation to the French waitress. 

“So what is this for?”

“Catch up. It’s has been six years.”

“We didn’t know each other before.” Belle wasn’t unkind to him. It was a fact they needed to address. 

“That’s unavoidable.” Belle laughed and the tension between them burst. She had forgotten that. He always knew just the right thing to say to anybody. Eli Gold started laughing and it was good. She wasn’t getting fired. Things were weird between her and him, but it wasn’t the end of the world. He wasn’t the only one suffering. 

“I’ve thought of you so much. I was terrible to you.” Mr Gold shook his head, smile dimming just slightly. “Did I ruin your life?”

“I could have waited for a flight to Scotland and I hadn’t. I made my choice. I think what may be different, but I’m happy.”

“I’ve thought about how things could have been different as well.” He explained. “I wonder if I’d gone through with telling my driver to turn around and come back for you at the airport. Or it getting delayed again, or you showing up. I fucked everything up leaving that hotel room. I swear I’d do everything different if I could.” 

The kindest of sentiments hurt just as much as a spiteful one. Belle’s heart shattered in her chest at the implications that he’d go back in time just to stay with her. She looked at his hand on the table and yearned to touch it. “I’m not seeing anybody right now.”

“I’m going through a nasty divorce. If you wanted-”

“Nothing serious…”

“We’d have to be discreet.”

“I’m not stupid.”

“I don’t give you enough credit. I keep remembering you as the twenty something back then.”

His hand was on hers and she was completely enamored with him when he was promising anything she wanted six years ago in the back of a cab. She wanted to seal this moment, because she knew when he learned of her actual age back then he’d go far away. He’d had issues when he thought she was twenty five. “I was…I was eighteen. Is that an issue?” 

Belle looked from their hands to him underneath her lashes. “Slightly. You’re the same age as my son.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Your son.” Belle clarified as a few things slipped into place. Eli Gold nodded slowly. “You were married? When you were with me?”

“Goodness, no. Neal is my son from a relationship before you. My wife and I have only been married two years.” 

She exhaled and relaxed now that knowing her being a home wrecker was off the table. Now there was something else crossing her mind. He had a daughter. Suddenly spanking was more creepy than hot. She chewed on her lower lip in resentment for the chosen coffee. She should have gotten wine or hard liquor. It was clear that neither of them were comfortable with this new realization, but she didn’t want to retract her statement about a casual fling. It seemed to be obvious that wouldn’t work out as much as she was kind of hoping for it to. After today, Eli Gold would avoid her purposefully and there wouldn’t be any future sexual tension between them. She tried to find a natural path out of the conversation.

“Do you have any other…?”

“It hasn’t worked out. I think those days are behind me anyway.” He shrugged as if it didn’t bother him, but there was a concentrated look on his brow that said otherwise. “I do have a business offer to discuss.”

She eased back into the calmer mood of earlier now that their own private adventures were behind them. She took a drink of water and listened to him explain. “We are opening a bookstore not too far from here. I want you to be over it. Regina put your name down on the list of suggestions.”

Belle was glad he’d asked her now, because she’d be choking if they were eating. Regina had put her name down on a list with other candidates, but hadn’t even seen to her job security before leaving. She tried to disguises the annoyance. It was a huge promotion for her to stay in the company and actually use her degree. A fantastic oppor unity that she’d never really imagined herself actually doing. She’d been so focused playing servant to the Evil Queen. This was far better than going looking for a job and it would be too strange to stay as his assistant. She promised Eli Gold she’d think of it and make a decision soon so he wouldn’t have to wait. They made small talk while waiting for the food. With the past out in the open, it wasn’t near as tense or rib breaking as she had expected. She could relax and enjoy herself as he told her about his interest in the company stemming from a long time ago. They talked about the mild changes he wanted to make, nothing too surprising under new management, and they spent the hour eating. It all went by so fast. He picked up the check.

“As your boss only.” Mr Gold explained while signing over his card. “Not an ex-lover.”

“You’re going to have to stop bringing that up then.” She bumped his shoulder playfully while they were walking out. The car was waiting for them outside. Mr Gold pretended to zip his lips shut.

“Won’t mention it again.” 

“When would the new job start if I decide to take it?”

“You’ll train your replacement first, but we’ll open early November to be ready for Black Friday.” That was only in about a week. “Take time you need.” 

They rode in silence for a little ways before she saw him unzipping his lips out of the corner of her eye. Belle smiled and faced him. “Last time. Did you ever try to contact me? You…you were not an easy woman to find seeing as I thought you were in Scotland. I’m easy to find in this business.”

“I wasn’t paying attention to who was in the industry when I was in college and you were fresh there. I noticed pictures of you looked like…well, you, but it’s not the same as seeing you.” Belle thought over, then somehow aloud. “Or that’s just when you’re looking at me.” 

Belle wished for an ejector seat at that even if the only Upton was to be flung into traffic. They pulled up to the building and Eli Gold waved her on ahead. She shut the door and went on whiteout him. She forced herself not to look back and only straight ahead. Even turning around in the elevator made her cringe with worry. So that was that mystery. She had found her one night love and they weren’t going to magically get back together as she may had thought about at. She was upset, but not entirely. Like a book going a different direction than she thought. Her life wasn’t over. She didn’t even want to cry anymore. 

She and Eli Gold only met briefly during the rest of the day. She assumed he’d just went around the building a few times out of embarrassment for over her stupid dashboard confessional. Their lunch had messed up his entire schedule. She had gotten back herself when it was twenty minutes after his noon meeting. He poked his head back out to warn her they may be working later than six. She kept herself cool, calm and collected and thought about crawling into bed and definitely not having anymore sexual fantasies about her boss. She waited for him to tell her she could get out of there. At around seven, he emerged once more. They were going to dinner and asked if she’d be available if they needed her. Belle was dying to go home and spill her sorrows to Ruby about their lunch, but it was going to be another long night reading at her desk. Maybe Mr Gold wasn’t so different from Regina in the work aspect.

“You don’t have to stay.” Mr Gold sounded apologetic. “I-”

“Regina would have chained her to the desk.” David Nolan, one of the heads of security, commented to Mr Gold. Nolan didn’t notice Mr Gold’s discomfort over the thoughts of chains and desk, but she did. Same mental image as well. 

When Belle got home, her news on Mr Gold could wait after seeing Ruby in disarray. Which could only mean one thing: trouble in paradise. Ruby and Dorothy disagreed constantly on so many things, but they fit each other better than almost any other of Ruby’s dates. They weren’t completely serious, but Dorothy was the most consistent one that Ruby was seeing. Their fights may as well had been a lover’s quarrel. They were already like two married people deep in years of wedded bliss. Belle learned quickly not to mention how the two girls fought and everything would be better by morning. Ruby would only get more upset at that. Instead, the best thing to do was listen and say how shitty it was. Then they’d sit on the couch with popcorn and put in a terrible movie. They were about forty minutes in when Ruby’s eyes went wide in realization.

“He’d it go today?”

“It wasn’t that bad.” Belle shrugged. “I thought we might hook up for about two seconds before he learned I’m the same age as his son.”

“He was married?!”

“Not to their mother. He’s going through a divorce right now.”

“Is that the reason you’re not going to let him..” Ruby’s movements were slow as she held up to fingers and then placed them on her mouth. Belle shoved her.

“Wouldn’t you be uncomfortable having sex with someone actually young enough to be your kid?”

“Once I’m north of forty, I’m not dating anyone older than twenty one.”

Their movie was getting close to over and Ruby’s mood had changed. Belle yawned, emotional exhaust making her physically tired. She got up to go to her room then looked back at her roommate. Ruby was debating something, staring at her phone. Belle smiled and walked back over to hug her neck from standing behind the couch.

“Go see her, Ruby. I won’t wait up.” Belle kissed her cheek, then handed Ruby her phone to take. Ruby nodded, grabbing her overnight bag and left out the door. Just as always.

Maybe Ruby was right. There wasn’t anything wrong with dating someone older or younger. Nobody was getting hurt and they both were on board with casual hookups before that little bomb drop. She couldn’t see any reason why she should be grossed out by the average difference. Not when he looked as good as he did anyway. She’d actively avoided romantic engagements for the longest while and hardly to do with how perfect he was. There was no orgasm so paralyzing, no floral bouquet so beautiful that was worth risking her dreams and identity. She hadn’t been home to see her own father in years. What Maurice would think. He’d told her once he preferred to think of her as a virgin even if she ended up on one of those horrible shows with twenty kids. As far as Maurice was aware, Belle had gone straight to Boston University after some minor trouble with a missed connection. One hell of one at that. 

It was close to eleven, but she was awake and had her phone nearby out of habit from working with Regina. Her phone rang and she furrowed her brows seeing it was Eli Gold’s work number. She stifled a yawn in order to answer and closed her book.

“Hello?”

“Belle. I hope I didn’t wake you.” It should have been disturbing how good his voice felt on her. Deep and comforting. Warming her body. Dizzying her head. She was so briefly intoxicated that it took her a moment to reply.

“I was up.”

“This would be much easier if we could meet in person.” 

Belle looked down at her ensemble. She was without makeup, hair tied in a ball on her head. Her flannel pajamas were the least sexy thing in her closet. “It is going to take me a minute to get down there…”

“This isn’t work related.” Belle could hear both of their hearts beating. “Would it be terrible if I stopped by your place?”

If she could twirl into a movie montage, it was perfect. “That…that would be fine. I need to clean up, so don’t drive too fast.” 

“It’s not a mandated visit, it’ll be fine.” 

Belle hung up and held the phone to her chest before jumping up and skimming through her clothes. She pulled on a dark sweater and a modest, loose skirt that wasn’t too revealing, but not too professional. Just hanging out. Or whatever. She scuffled to the bathroom and brushed her teeth quickly. She was in the middle of moving Ruby’s weed out of the way when the door buzzed. He announced himself over the intercom and she buzzed him up. She heard his footsteps. Coming up to her apartment. She had no idea why he was coming over. He probably felt bad about firing her, but had to because he was too creped out. She swallowed and opened the door when he knocked. Eli Gold was standing there making some joke about a higher floor not being available when she moved in, but she couldn’t process it. He was here looking apologetic. All her words were gone.

“It’s late, but I knew I wouldn’t sleep without seeing you. At lunch I may have given a certain impression.”

“That we didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell?” She hoped it would at least make him laugh. Nope.

“The age difference still makes me uncomfortable. This is just…” He paused, possibly looking for the right word. “New to me. I genuinely liked you back then, Belle. You were so cute and direct and that night was the best of my life. One of them.” He added that last part, but it sounded like he just did for her sake.

Belle was about to respond with something meaningful as well, but Eli Gold pulled her into his arms. Their gazes linked and and she gasped just as his lips met hers. He was every good as her highly detailed memory remembered. His soft lips encouraged hers apart and his tongue lunged in against the edges of her teeth. He had one hand on her back and the other on her arm. She pulled up tight against him and held onto his jacket collar for dear life as though immobilized. His scent, his taste just shut her circuits off and fried the motherboard. It’d been so long since she’d been kissed by somebody who knew how. She plied their kisses apart and smelled his scent. Whiskey. He was drunk and by the morning he’d regret this.


	5. Chapter 5

“I shouldn’t have…” Mr Gold drew back, staggering, when she placed her hands firm against his chest. “I just wasn’t sure and wanted to see if there was anything between us.” 

“There is, but I’m not sure it’s going to work. I just got a life of my own two years ago and I’m not ready to share it with anyone else.” Belle explained why she really stopped him. Aside from the no-sex-while-drunk rule. 

Mr Gold smiled with admiration. “Fair, but you mentioned seeing each other casually.” 

“That was before you offered me a job.” She shrugged. “I don’t want anyone thinking I slept with you for it.” 

“Lucky I’m the master of discretion. Unless you plan on telling everyone at the office what I do to you?” 

A small thrill went up her body she had to pointedly ignore before it got her in trouble. “I do talk to Ruby, but she’s smarter than that.” 

“Do you mind if we sit?” He asked, motioning towards the couch. 

“Yeah, of course. Sorry.” Mr Gold placed himself where he was comfortable and she sat on a separate chair instead of near him. He reached forward and picked up what Ruby used as a roach clip. In a panic over her character, she grabbed and tossed it over her shoulder.

“I thought I might have shocked you. Different generation and all.” Explaining that had been just as awkward as doing it.

“Since recreational drug use was invented five ears ago.” 

“Did you come over to tease me?” 

“I thought it was obvious why I came over. I’m still attracted to you and thought of you every single day.”

Belle smiled, not over the comfort that her need for him was requited. “Do you talk to anybody from work about,” she made a vague hand gesture between the two of them.

“No. I work hard to separate my professional and business lives. I had acquaintences before the divorce turned me into a sort of beast. She made most of our connections anyway.” 

Belle wanted to talk about his divorce as much as she wanted to think about him being lonely. She remembered how much it sucked herself at Boston University before they dropped Ruby on her. It was terrible. She didn’t want to do this because he was lonely, however. This had to be done right with a clear head and focus. Save getting fuzzy for the amazing sex she knew they could have. Would have right now if he weren’t even the slightest bit intoxicated.

“I should go, this was inappropriate.” 

Belle watched him as he stood and strode towards the door. Her chest tightened watching the fine fabric of his clothes move with purpose. He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. She loved sex and being with someone who she knew to be good and wanted to have it with was monumental. Even better if they didn’t consider her in their retirement plan. She’d been holding men up to the highest standards she could imagine. No one would ever be as amazing to her as Eli Gold. He was plucked from her dreams as the perfect man.

“If you want to just have some fun, then fine.” She called before he reached the door. “We can see each other casually.”

Gold stopped and turned around to face her. His forehead creased with confusion. “Clarify.”

Belle licked her lips and fiddled with her shirt. “Have sex. Friends with benefits, no strings attached, kind of way. Exception being tonight.” She stood firm in that decision. Although, her body was physically whimpering during the sentence of denying him doing whatever he very well may want. She’d spent so long yearning to just look at those eyes again and now he was standing right in front of her. Willing and ready to do anything she wanted. A slow smile lifted his lips and a naughty little glint covered his expression. He knew something she did not.

“We waited six years. What’s another twenty four?”

“Twenty four?” She crossed her arms, feeling her nipples chafing against the shirt.

“Twenty two?” 

He dared take a step forward. He was barely taller than her, but could still look down his beautiful nose at her. He didn’t touch, but his coat brushed her sleeves. An energy throbbed between them and if he opened his arms, if he touched her at all, Belle would fall into his arms happily drunk or sober. Eli Gold just looked at her. Just gazed down in thought, scrutinizing every last detail like a good actor reading over the perfect script. 

“Six years of wanting you is long enough.” 

She could think of lots of reasons not to let him push her against the wall and fuck her with all clothes on, but they weren’t good enough. She licked her lips then glanced up. “Well, now that we have thought out of the way, I’d offer you a drink, but I think you’ve had enough.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow with further instructions.” 

Eli Gold kissed her, short, chaste and brief. Almost like their very first conversation. She stood by the door for a long time thinking about what just happened. She was getting exactly what she was dreamed of at eighteen. As scary as it was supposed to be to have sex with a boss, she’d read far too many harlequin novels to know just what kind of fun they could have. She walked on numb legs to the couch and dropped onto it. She touched her bottom lip and smoothed over slowly with a gentle smile. A restless tingle traveled all the way down to her very wet panties as though his touch on her was an earthquake and her vagina was the Richter Scale. Belle hoped Ruby stayed out tonight and also that she had a fresh set of batteries.

The next morning Belle made it before the alarm. She had never been so excited to get to work. She covered her face with a pillow and squealed. She had to get herself under control. She couldn’t spend all day swooning or thinking about that tonight he was going to be all hers. The idea set an electric buzz feeling to her belly. Her morning commute was slower than normal and she took a seat at her desk to control her raging-teenage-esque hormones that flowed all over. They were in full mode when Eli Gold arrived. He got to the office and greeted her casually, nothing out of the ordering, as he handed over his coat. Now that they were going to get back to what they did best with each other, they could be in the same room and function. She knew his attraction was just as strong for her, because his hand brushed the small of her back she caught his eyes lingering.

“Can I get you anything else?” 

“I have six people coming in this morning to throw authors and scream at me.”

“Coffee and water for six. No problem. Belle had already known about the meeting. Before she took over at the new book shop, she wanted to make herself look as though she were magic. That she could make things happen with a snap of her fingers. She didn’t want to leave on a sour note. “Do you need me to take notes?”

“I do and this is for you. Notes for your leisure and you’ll need this.” Magic of his own was procuring a slender card from nowhere. “Unless tonight is inconvenient?”

Belle knew that he could tell she was dying for her. Judging by the fact he was good on his ‘less than twenty four hours’ promise, she could figure that he was just as well for her. She let him watch as she placed the key in her bra. He chuckled, shook his head, and walked back into his office. The door clicked behind him and only then did she feel comfortable enough to open the tablet and find the notes app on the home screen. He left a simple little message explaining the key belonged to the Maison Hotel on Lexington. The ‘Gold’ Suite. She fought the urge to Google if there was a connection and made herself work instead. She hoped he would tell her what he was expecting, wanted to do, anything. The fact that he denied her even the simplest of delights maddened her. Which was probably the point. His possible salacious intent was going to be the end of her one of these days. She wanted to surprise him, to.

In that hotel room six years ago, there had been a mirror. Belle sat on his lap at the edge of the bed with her fingers moving in tight circles over her clitoris as they both watched. She remembered his cock stretching her, slick flesh moving against slick flesh and his hands as gasped and twisted in pleasure. He’d whispered against her cheek, eyes meeting hers in the mirror, about how beautiful she was. He told her to never be ashamed of pleasure. The image of her own passion and the way he’d watched her use his fingers to get herself off was sered into her mind. She could do something with that.

Father Time was clock blocking. There was no way in hell that her day could move so slow by any other means. She sat through the author meeting where nobody actually got too mad at him. She thought someone was going to, but when he explained they’d released a book a few weeks ago with an exact same plot, they had to relent. It was easy to get through the meeting without thinking of that night. She was distracted by his hands on books, turning them intently to survey how the cover had come out. She thought of that hand sliding up her calf, under her skirt, but she cared more about the books than her sex drive. She stopped the daydreaming and found Eli Gold at work was an entirely different person. He knew literature and had a talent for not caring with the book police thought it was going to do to the company. He was confident on where he knew this company could go. He’d dictate a note to her every once in awhile and, upon reflection, Belle agreed with some of it.

After the meeting while Eli took lunch, Belle sent a message to Ruby that she’d be late that night. Ruby replied, equally as excited for her. At six o’clock, Belle knocked on the door to Gold’s office.

“It’s Belle.”

“Enter.” She obeyed and was relieved to see that he was alone.

“Is there anything you need me for?”

Gold smiled with a look of tired in his eyes. She had a stone feeling that didn’t do well for their evening together. His sleeves were rolled back and he was leaning over a matte cover of a book versus one that wasn’t. He looked at his watch and she thought he was about to cancel. But he looked up and met her eyes with such intensity it took her breath. “I can get by if you have plans.”

Belle smiled slowly and turned to the door. She stopped at it and looked over her shoulder. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Go on. I’ll be there by eight.”


	6. Chapter 6

The Maison Hotel was a building with lion faces decorating the facade above a glass awning. Belle realized that it might look suspicious heading into a hotel with a garment bag and purse, but decided to hell with it. She wasn’t there for a stay. She was there strictly for amazing sex and to forget her name in the process of. She had to physically refrain herself from saying such at the front desk. She rode the elevator up and used her key at the door to step into the ‘Gold’ Suite. Unknowing if it was named for him and not the color stopped as she took all of it in. That looked more like a homey, Victorian apartment than a hotel room. She walked through the living room where couches were lining the floor. Pictures of skylights from various cities around the world decorated the panels of off-white walls. She dropped her bag on the floor and purse on the sofa as she looked up to the second floor loft where the bedroom must be.

There was a gentle knock on the door and, upon opening it, revealed a waiter with a silver bucket of ice and a bottle of white wine. She took a step back to let him take it to the bar. 

“Mr Gold asked for it to be brought upon your arrival.” He explained her apparent confusion and poured her a glass. She took it carefully and sipped thinking about how Eli Gold had someone waiting for her.

“Do you know why it’s called the Gold Suite? That’s just a coincidence, isn’t it?”

The waiter shook his head. “He owns the room.” 

He departed, declining a tip which she didn’t know what to really give anyway, on the grounds that it had been taken care of. Belle walked around and took in the decor. It was a bit eccentric, but not exactly crazy. Odds and ends were placed here and there that she didn’t think came with the room. She went up to the second floor where the bathroom was. A black leather shaving kit and retail size cologne and shampoo were lined on the counter by the sink. Mr Gold owned the room and apparently it was because he’d been living here too. She checked the clock and her stomach turned in excitement. She had about an hour before he’d arrive and she wanted to entice him from the moment he stepped in the door. 

She pulled the pins from her work-do hair and smiled seeing it fall into the waves she had always dreamed of achieving with a curling iron. She fixed her makeup by thickening the liquid eyeliner and going for a dark berry gloss instead of peach nude lip color. Belle stood before the mirror in the living room after straightening up the bathroom and examined her ensemble that fit like a glove. Backless blue top and a short black skirt. This was definitely an upgrade compared to eighteen year old, greasy teenager Belle. She hoped he liked the improvement. She never dressed for men and wouldn’t start now, but she wanted to give him some form of excitement and need to continue this transaction. Now for the next part.

Belle arranged herself on one of the white couches. She nudged her skirt up and spread her legs, body and attention fixed on the door. Her breath caught as her fingers ventured down under the pink lace of panties. Long since gone for the night was her white cotton panties she used to wear. She closed her eyes and stroked down two fingers over her slit. Her fingers hips lifted like her skin was too sensitive to touch. She swallowed a breath and closed her eyes to remember him watching her do this with his fingers in that mirror. Her fingers circled her clit and a breath shook out. She was hot and heavy under her own touch and she cupped herself letting her fingers slip between the folds. The door clicked open and her lungs tightened, limbs quivered. She opened her eyes to see Eli Gold there.

Gold’s eyes met hers and held it as he walked towards her in his long black coat and leather winter gloves. His expression was completely neutral, but he couldn’t deny the hunger in his eyes kept only for her. 

“Take those off.” His voice was soft and gentle, never demanding her in these situations, but she wasn’t being asked. 

Belle knew if she didn’t want to he’d be just as fine. But they both knew better. His eyes watched every movement of her hand pulling down the thin scrap piece of fabric down her thighs. He stepped closer and smoothed a gloved hand up her leg. He pulled the lace from her ankles and held them to his nose. 

“Fuck.” Came her moaning declaration.

She pressed her thighs together against the deepening ache in her cunt. Belle needed him so badly she was shaking. She knew that if they touched, it would be what she’d been missing in every encounter after and before him. She was weak, wanting and desperate for him to do anything.

“Don’t stop.” Gold moved his gloves finger by finger. 

Belle parted her thighs further to plead with him. He tossed his gloves and and coat over the ottoman then moved to stand between her legs. His cock was visible against the zipper of his pants. She continued stroking herself, fingers moving deeper in before tracing up. She was coated in the evidence of her desire. She would never in a million years feel comfortable doing this with or for anybody else. Under his watch she felt lusted after and secure. Her thighs tense and she planted her black heels firmly against the rug. Her orgasm was ready right near perfection. A cry of frustration and her hips lifted from the sofa. With him just looking at her she was about to-

“Stop. Come here.” 

His words were so baffling that it shocked her into actually stopping. Without thinking, Belle took Gold’s hand as it was offered. He braced her swaying and aching body. She was dizzy and smelled his cologned as it entered her head. His body was warm against hers through all of their clothes. With the hand that wasn’t holding her close, He brought her fingers to his mouth and sucked them cleaning. Her hand coursed through his hair and tugged him down to kiss her. A hungry, starved groan struck every nerve in her body. Her body cried for him to just take her already, but he was busy with this moment and swaying side to side. He laced their fingers together then began a line of kisses from her jaw to her ear. Belle shivered in Mr Gold’s arms. 

“Six years of fantasizing this.” He whispered like a prayer of need. She could have cried. She wasn’t just dreaming wanting the passion of story books. It was real. 

Belle only realized how intensely good he was at just kissing ears when her cunt spasmed with a flood of wetness and relief poured through her body. All because of a simple little thing. He grinned facing her and kissed her mouth. She placed her forehead on his shoulder to relax for a moment as he kept her held. 

“I might be in trouble.” 

“Maybe. You’ve had the wine then?”

Belle raised a brow and he mimicked her expression, but with an amused look as though he were genuinely proud of himself. “I just came in your arms. Not from sex or touching or oral. From one of the most tame things. And you’re asking about wine.” 

“I was thinking we may share a glass since there seems to be no other.” 

Gold moved to the bar to pour the white wine in a glass. She’d left hers upstairs in in the bathroom, but she wasn’t going to go get it. She could barely stand. He walked back over and gave the glass to her as he turned her around. Belle smiled and felt his lips gingerly caress her neck. They stayed there as he pulled her top off and tugged her skirt lower so it dropped to her feet. He moved her fingers when she reached behind to unhook the bra. 

“Leave them and the shoes on if you don’t mind.” 

Belle turned around kissed him hard, his hand going rough through her hair. She asked when her lungs were burning and body was aching for a little more action. “Shall we go upstairs?” 

“I want to lay you down and bury my face in your cunt. Unless you object. I’ve been looking forward to that all day.” 

They both finished off the glass of wine before Belle, dazed that this was all still real, lead him back to the sofa where she’d been when he arrived. He dropped to his knee sand spread her legs. He lifted one over his shoulder and bent his head. His tongue parted her and she choked on whatever her mind even thought was the best way to praise him. He gripped her hips and pressed them into the sofa. She laid back, holding her captive as he sucked and nibbled. She nearly screamed with hallelujahs when his tongue slipped inside of her. He pulled her clit into his mouth and her body tightened. Her heels dug into his back as she lifted herself. He pushed two fingers into her, deeper and deeper and harder and crooked until they were right against her g-spot. Her pulse centered under his tongue, his teeth teased her clit. Every muscle seized as pleasure burned white hot. She yelled and hoped that her thighs wouldn’t break his damn neck. She lost a shoe. She should have been totally satisfied, but wouldn’t be until he completely fucked her. Belle reached down and tried to tug him up. 

“We have to go upstairs. It’s where the condoms are.”

Belle whimpered, but let him pry her off of the sofa. Halfway up the stairs he stopped her and pressed her against the wall to nip at her thought. He mumbled something about ‘letting him do this with her’ that she couldn’t quite clarify. She hugged him tighter for his confidence and smiled as her bra was discarded on the steps along with his shoes. They made it to the bed where she laid back on the dark duvet. He unbuckled his belt and slid his pants off. There was a hesitance. It was a timid little flicker that almost made her doubt she’d seen it at all. She crawled over to him and smiled as she unbuttoned his shirt as he had done her. She kissed at his neck and smoothed a hand down his chest with a pleased hum. She then reached under the waistband of his underwear to feel his erect cock. She pecked at his neck while stroking him. 

“I want you.” She promised. “Please fuck me. You don’t have to get all the way undressed if it makes you uncomfortable. Just talk to me.”

“We’ve done this before. It’s just…” There were things he wasn’t telling her. Something important. 

“I’m not going to judge you. This is our place. This is safe.”

“It’s been six years, Belle. I don’t exactly…look the same.” He mumbled under his breath, struggling to talk with her pleasuring him. She reached up with her free hand to caress his cheek. 

“Every date I’ve ever had since we met has to compare to you. You know what you’re doing and you are the man I think about all of the time. I don’t and wouldn’t change a thing about you.” Gold nodded and moved her hand away so he could retrieve a condom. “Do you mind if I-? It may help.” 

Gold handed it over to her. Belle kissed every inch of him from his lips down to below his naval where his pants resigned. She undressed him and smiled to herself seeing his cock still completely ready for her. She turned that look up at him as she slowly rolled the condom onto him. She tugged on his waist until he was leaning over her. The wide tip of his penis pushed against her and she held her breath. Her body opened, flesh engorged from the pleasure he’d already given. The head slipped in slower than she expected and she was surprised at the burning stretch. She made herself relax as he eased onto her. She hugged his neck as she took him in. He asked if he was hurting her and she promised he wasn’t. He groaned, pulling back before slowly pushing in again. Each time he withdrew she clung to him with her cunt and legs to bring him back. Belle rolled her hips and took more of him in on every movement. Her fingers dug into his back, knees hugging his waist as he pumped. With her other hand she rubbed her clit with her fingertips, racing towards another climax. His thrusts accelerated, confidence grew and she was proud of him. She saw sparks behind her eyelids when she came. She was barely coherent when Gold followed behind her. She whined, clinging to him.

“Are you alright?” 

“This was a really good idea. I’ve not felt this good in a long time.” 

Gold kissed her forehead then her lips before going to the bathroom. “Have you eaten yet?”

“I’ll pick something up when I leave.”

“Nonsense.” He came back wearing a shirt and dark flannel pajama pants. He walked towards the dresser and tossed her another shirt. “Come down when you’re ready”

They ordered horrifically overpriced room er vice cheeseburgers that he wouldn’t take money for. They sat on the couch with a tray between them as they looked out unto the lights of the skyscrapers outside. They continued their game of making up things about the people they could see in other windows. 

“It’s unusual what they get up to.”

“I don’t know.” Belle said, moving the tray they were finished with to the rug. She moved to be next to him. “Voyeurism can be quite sexy.” 

“It can be a very good thing.” He said against her neck as he pulled her into his lap. He removed the shirt he let her borrow. Whatever she was going to say vanished as his hands and mouth covered her breasts.


	7. Chapter 7

“Miss French, I need to see you in my office immediately.” 

Belle rolled her eyes at Mr Gold’s insistence. He’d delayed her lunch by hours and her stomach had been growling from the moment the delivery person brought in his lunch. Gold dumped a stack of papers that needed addressing by the end of the day in order to keep her there at her desk instead of going somewhere to eat. She wondered if their being ‘friends’ would mean his forgiveness if she stole an entire plate of his food. She got up from her desk and walked into his office. His desk was cleared off and a feast of sushi rolls and sashimi was laid out on beautiful plates. Far too much for one person to eat. He ordered her to closer the door and hit the lock, but the tone he used made her attention go from an empty stomach to a suddenly needing-him-now vagina.

“Have you eaten?”

“No. Some asshole asked me to not go until after two.” 

“Apologies for my ulterior motives. Sit.” He said this while moving a plate of sliced rolls and patted the top of the desk. 

Belle raised a brow in hesitance. She was wearing a white lace dress that wasn’t made for sitting on desks with grace. “You should learn to trust me by now.” 

She moved past him and hopped up carefully with her ankles crossed. “We did only meet five days ago.” 

“We’ve had quite the opportunities of getting to know each other.” He slipped a hand between her knees and gently nudged. “Open.”

Her breath hitched in her chest. Belle matched everything and her underwear to her outerwear was no exception. If she did as was asked he’d get more than a high-school-grade panty flash. “What happened to no messing around in the office?”

“I believe the deal was we’d have to be careful about it.” Mr Gold pressed his fingers more into her thigh to keep parting them. “Nor is this.”

Those far too talented fingers of his brushed over the thin material of her panties. “And how not?” 

Mr Gold gave her the third proudest grin she had ever seen from him as he placed the plate he’d initially moved back between her legs. He lifted a roll and placed it on her mouth. “I wanted to have lunch with you. Neal’s coming in this weekend and I want to spend as much as time as possible with him.” 

A weight lowered in her chest. She had wanted to be with him this weekend, but she wouldn’t ask. He was going through a divorce and was seeing his son after a long time. Well, presumably, considering Neal didn’t come by the office too often. Even considering now that every moment he moved he brushed against her thighs. Belle raised his chin. Gold met her in the middle, his fingers going through her hair already as if he knew that she was completely depraved. It didn’t matter that they were just eating fish, nor would it if he were just eating onions on the greasiest burgers in the world. He kissed her deliberately with purposeful intent. Then pulled back.

“I have a meeting at three. I didn’t just want to seduce you into anything, I do actually have something for you.” Gold turned around and reached for the tablet to give it back to her. “Later. I want you to actually get work done.” 

“That might actually be safer. I’m tempted to jump in that chair with you.” 

“Speaking of are you…you’re not seeing anyone currently are you?” 

“Not at all!”

“Good. I’d rather keep this between us and not just the discretion.” 

Belle nodded, hand reaching up to caress his cheek. She was about to say something but refrained in favor of kissing him again. It was going to be a long weekend.

He’d bought a hundred dozen books to tide her over almost like a handheld library. Scrolling down she found more novellas and essays on much more adult things that he apparently had thought he’d sneak in. He wrote notes about how many times he’d taken himself in hand thinking about doing certain things to her. Mr Gold still thought too much about being with Belle long after their night. He’d apparently lusted after just as much as she had him. When she got home, her blood was pounding in her ears and she briefly hated Neal for daring to choose this weekend to come back. She opened the door and found no sign of Ruby which meant her weekend was at least a little occupied. She never stuck around too long when Dorothy called unless they were arguing. They were back to normal. 

Belle grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and plopped down on the sofa to continue reading Gold’s recommended smut books. Thank goodness these were e-books because she would have croaked if he had written on an actual book. The only thing she let interrupt her was Ruby’s text message urging they have a party next Friday. Apparently it was going around that Belle was going to be overseeing the new bookstore. She frowned as it hadn’t been announced yet officially. She wanted to text Eli and warn him, but didn’t want anything ruining his father-son weekend. She certainly didn’t think he was ready to explain to his son why Belle French getting the job was such a big deal. 

For a Friday night the only place Belle would rather be than with a book was underneath Eli Gold in his bed (negotiable). Despite knowing that Ruby wasn’t going to be back until at least Sunday afternoon, Belle took the tablet and headed to the bedroom. She changed out of her work outfit into a tank top and no pants. She climbed into the bed and continued reading to no luck. She kept thinking that he’d masturbated thinking of her just as she had of him. Her deepest fear was that she’d cry his name while with someone else. To her knowledge that hadn’t hopped in the three dates since then. Belle couldn’t herself. She needed a release and while he was the only one that had pr oven to truly satisfy her, she did have a trusty sidekick fresh of batteries in her nightstand. And she was desperate.

That desperation stayed through until Monday despite how many times she’d tried. Belle went to work that morning and saw Eli Gold as she was walking into the office building. He stood beside his car and smiling bright as she’d never quite caught before. As the back door opened, out stepped a man about her age. She had no doubt it was Neal. He was handsome. Small eyes, scraggly sort of beard, taller than his father. The pair hugged and that was when Belle turned away. Gold hadn’t permitted her into this part of his life. They’d planned around it actually. She heard Eli ask Neal to call the moment something changed, but it was lost as she slipped into the building’s lobby. She could still smell his cologne. She’d learned the pitch of his breathing. Both were close behind her. Belle licked her lips as she heard him enter the elevator with her.

“Good morning, Ms French. How was your weekend?”

Two other people dropped in uninvited as they rode to their floor. “I just laid in bed and read all weekend.” She caught him rolling his eyes.

She followed close behind to take his coat before she hung up her own. “You’re training your work replacement today. Like we agreed on, it’s better to train her now just in case you were to accept the offer.”

There was a tone in which he said that which warned Belle she must play along. “Good to get that part through with. Also,” she produced the tablet to hand to him. “I studied your notes as asked.” 

“We’ll discuss it further during your lunch hour. Don’t be late.” That small thrill rolled through her spine at his insistence. That dominance electrified her. 

Her replacement’s name was Jefferson and he did come from the former company that Mr Gold personally worked. He didn’t appear to be in the best mood, but let Belle show him around. She introduced him to a few of the people he’d primarily be working with and how to use the interoffice messenger system as well as the numbers for the phones around the office. She explained the procedures and who to ask if anything got confusing. Despite his attitude, he seemed intent on doing a good job. He asked the right questions and didn’t stop once to say that he knew what he was doing. Her entire morning was taken over by this and she was only a little thankful for the distraction. At least now the day wouldn’t drag on until lunch or later. A little after eleven, one of Gold’s familiar assistants rushed in and urged that Belle go see him immediately. She quickly went to his office door and knocked. He called for her in.

“Close the door.” 

Belle smiled to herself as she did so and locked it. He had risen from his chair and walked over to her side. 

“If you want to stop or slow down, just say the word.” Gold assured, pulling her from the door with a tight grip on her waist. “Remove.”

Belle wriggled in his hold and hitched her skirt up just as he reached around and slipped his hand into her tights. She leaned against him, keeping his free hand tight in her own over her mouth. He met her wet, willing cunt and moved his fingers into her. Her pulse from the weekend reading was still in her ears as Mr Gold eloquently ordered Jefferson to take over while he discussed the week schedule with Belle. His fingers stayed in as deep as they would go until she was almost certain she felt knuckle. She thought she might orgasm based solely on the presence of him near again. She moved to rock her hips and he slowly moved his fingers in circles. Tears burned her eyes at the lack of selfish attention she’d had from him. Gold pulled her to sit with him in the office chair. She clung to him, arms around his neck and faced buried in his shoulder. Belle finally came for him with a shudder, breathing in his cologne. She needed her release to come from him.

“I absolutely cannot be around you today.” Gold laughed at himself. She smiled slightly and kissed his chin, letting him hold her.

“I am taking that job, by the way. It’s good that you planned for that.” 

“He owes me a favor, but we should celebrate.” 

“I’ll be there at eight.”


	8. Chapter 8

A month into their not-exactly-a-relationship relationship, Mr Gold allowed Belle to leave work an hour early. The excuse was for Jefferson to get the hang of things without her, but the truth was that Gold literally couldn’t be around her. During their one brief meeting he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her. Ruby claimed to have not noticed, but that was mostly because she was preoccupied with fixing her cuticles today. Which was kind of a relief that Gold and Belle’s need to be right under each other constantly wasn’t a screaming force. He did yell at her over something to cover his tracks, but she knew he wasn’t being serious. He had a reputation to protect and needed to give her the same treatment as everyone else. They were casually hooking up. It was nothing special.

Belle arrived at the Gold Suite at eight after a short moment of relaxing herself down. She heard the shower running upstairs and music playing over the sound system. She put down the bags of food she’d brought along to pay back for the room service and the sushi. She padded upstairs and bit her lip walking by the bathroom to see Eli Gold standing beneath the spray (shower head came to mind) with his medium length, thin hair shined back. Aside from how beautiful he looked, how much he glistened, it did not take away from the fact that the most wonderful thing about him was something she never would have guessed: his singing voice. Something quite and deep almost under his breath which wasn’t what was playing on the radio. It was like she had stepped into a dreamworld where every moment with him was taken straight from a rock star music video. She decided only to knock when Gold’s singing quited down to where any move she made could be heard. He jumped, shocked from the intrusion and smiled at her while wiping water from his face.

“Spying on a coworker now, Ms French? I’m certain that’s against policy.”

“Fingering them on your desk might also be. I’ll have to check.” 

Gold turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist before stepping out. She pouted, wanting the full view of him. She dodged when he reached for her. “I have food downstairs so hurry up.” 

Belle went back downstairs to set up everything where it almost looked exactly like a Fourth of July American Barbecue. Fitting, because neither of them were truly from this continent. She had burgers on nice plates along with two iced teas sitting neatly in glasses she may had nabbed from his kitchen. She stacked the extra condiments near a stack of fries she joined together so she wouldn’t be inclined to steal his. Gold came down in his sleep pants and shirt, still moderately soaked. He leaned over her shoulder and smooched a wet kiss to her neck. The water collecting droplets on him was now cold as it dropped on her. She laughed and turned away from it. Gold still took her hand and lead her to sit next to him. She curled up next to him, finding her comfort back.

They remained like that and ate and Belle was suddenly aware of how domestic it was. They were supposed to just be two people with an insane amount of sexual chemistry having fun. Not having dinner and talking about other things. They talked about their medical history, which he mentioned should have been brought up sooner. They talked about how he was moderately health-conscience because of certain familial things he didn’t want to get into right then. As he talked, her hand was brushing through his hair as if comforting him out of whatever pained him. Belle leaned against his shoulder when all that interjected the comfortable silence was the odd sound of police sirens or a dog bark somewhere in the distance. They were supposed to be talking about why he slyly slipped her in books that used to make her blush when she found them in her mother’s closet. Belle looked up to him and guided his mouth towards hers. A simple little pluck before she looked up towards the bedroom. Gold chuckled and stood, pulling her with him once more.

Belle lead the way, goosebumps rising on her arms as he reached forward and stroked his fingers along her skin. She pulled her sweater off when they were standing in the bedroom and then wiggled out of her skirt to reveal the matching black and pink lace set. She reached up to remove the pins from her hair knowing that this was the part he liked best. Watching her as a pretend kind of voyeur was something that she had picked up that Gold liked. Or maybe it was just seeing her. Either way it made everything else in the world stop. When he shook the remaining pins from her hair, her senses were so heightened that she swore she heard them drop on the carpet. His fingers moved generously over her head and she forced back a contented moan. He stepped forward so that his chest was against hers. Teasing, never touching more than he really need to. He was an expert at this, but she needed him to be unprofessional at the moment. 

Gold dropped her hair and moved away, leaving her dying and center between her legs throbbing in anticipation for just him. He turned off the lamp so the only light was coming from the lower floor. Belle didn’t like this part of it. Now she couldn’t see him completely, it was too dim. She could only feel and while it was all good and well, she wanted to see. She wanted the detail attached into her brain more than her own name. Gold walked behind her and she heard ruffling of clothes. He reached forward and unhooked her bra. Then slowly, very slowly, he slipped one strap off her arm at a time. He waited until it dropped completely on the floor before reaching one hand around and stroking the pink tip of her breast. He kissed at her neck while winding her around to face him. Before she could see any part of him, he leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth. Belle almost fell to the ground. 

“I want to be good for you.” 

She was breathless hearing these words. Her panties were plastered to her vulva and her skin was about to burst into fire. Gold was the only man on this planet who could ever actually give what she wanted and he was worried about not being good for her. After the last three sexual encounters where she’d nearly orgasmed based on a single word from him, he was worried about not being good for her. Belle was flabbergasted. She didn’t know what to say in this situation when Gold had been nothing but perfect to her. He acted as though he didn’t know he’d just said that. He continued, mindlessly tracing one fingertip around her nipple then went to sit on the edge. She walked over and straddled his lap. If he could only understand the absolute power that he held over her, then maybe he’d see that everything he did was good for her. It didn’t take as much courage as she initially thought.

“I want to suck you off and swallow your come. I want you to use a condom to fuck me, but not when I hate the taste of latex.” She guided his hand where she needed him the most. “Look me in the eyes the entire time you touch me.” 

Gold slipped a finger into her cunt while making a low sound in his throat. She moaned, hips moving just slightly to keep him going. He withdrew, tracing her wetness over her slick swollen labia. He parted her slowly, circling in the opening, dipping in just barely, retreating, dipping in again, deeper more with each maddeningly slow motion until her legs were trembling. She clenched around him, ready and fixing to come. The hardest thing she’d ever had to do was keep her eyes open and locked on him. She was going to repay him back for every orgasm he ever gave her, but not until he could see how easy it was for her with him. How all of this was only possible for him. Her hips thrusted, grinding against his cock for more friction. Her toes curled and she adjusted to dig her heels into his lower back. She needed it more than air. The smallest of sexual thoughts could send her over the edge, but she didn’t need it. She breathed hard through her nose, sweat trembling on her lip. The moment that she orgasmed, Belle pushed him down and climbed over to retrieve a condom from his nightstand. 

“Perfect, sweetheart. Perfect. Only you can do this, no one else.” She promised in rapid fire breaths as she kissed everywhere on his face. She needed Gold to feel as perfect as he was to her. 

Belle sat up a little bit over his waist and took the hand of his that had been inside of her. She placed each finger in her mouth, eyes once more locked in his, as she cleaned her orgasm off his fingers while rocking against his cock. He caressed her cheek and looked at her with such adoration she blushed. She rolled down his pajama pants and dressed him with a condom. She leaned back over him and smiled, pressing her lips to his. She took him in hand and rubbed the tip of his cock up and down her slit, coating the condom until it was slippery. She whimpered and let him go to stretch her. Gold pushed inside halfway and she took him with ease that surprised them both. She clutched at him with her internal muscles as he thrust forward, burying deep into her and she gasped. He reached up to hold her face, waiting for her to tell him to stop. Belle shook her head.

“Don’t stop. Please.” Her voice was hoarse, pleading and begging. He nodded, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

Gold pushed into her, then withdrew and pushed in again. She rolled them over to let him have complete control for his own orgasm and he used the position to stroke her clit in rough circles. Sweat broke out against her skin and she panted in time to his thrusts. One after the other, headboard slamming into the wall. He was rougher tonight and all she could do was smile for his confidence. At least in this moment. She hugged his neck and moaned, back arching, hips wanting to with her, as she reached towards another climax. 

“Right there, right there. Please, fuck, yes.” She called his name in unison with hearing him grunt and growl. He came just a moment before she did.

It was almost eleven when they went to sleep naked next to each other. When Belle woke, he was dressed back in his shirt and pajama pants, but asleep next to her. Or, so she thought when she attempted to move. It was after a midnight, after the workday, and she was officially no longer his assistant. She was now going to be working on getting the new book store opened in time for Black Friday in less than two weeks which meant changing spaces on Monday. If Gold wanted to hold her tonight, it wouldn’t be all that bad. Maybe they should see each other more than once once on a Friday. Well, multiple times for her. 

“Can I ask you something?”

“No. We don’t know each other well enough for something intimate as a question.” Even post-sex that attitude was still there. 

Belle smiled, rolling onto her side to face him. She draped a hand behind his back and moved it under his shirt, wanting it off. “Why did you take my plane ticket if you were just going to leave me money for another?”

“I didn’t want to strand you. You were brilliant, full of life. I didn’t want to see you doing something out of fear. It might have been a mistake.”

“No mistake. I made the right choice.” She rubbed her foot up and down his calf. She yawned once more. “Do you want me to leave.”

“No, dearie. Everything right now is perfect.”


	9. Chapter 9

Belle walked into the largest book store she had ever seen in her entire life. She’d been to a few over the course of her years while working under Regina. Even though Mary Margaret was far more qualified, that poor girl didn’t get to do anything worthwhile in the company. In any case, Belle had been to some pretty impressive places. As the former number one book agent in the northeast, Regina went to a lot of press junkets and book tours with their most prized authors. They always needed a coffee girl and someone to set things up to re preset H. Daniel, so Belle was brought along. Now she was standing in the middle of the one to beat them all out. And she was in charge of every single floor of it. 

It was called ‘Across the Barrier’ which she felt was quite creative coming from Mr Gold. It was three floors of stairs, escalators and elevators. Coffee shop, rest area and a small food court was going to be on the top floor. The first was filled with counters for check out and was mainly used as a children’s area. The left side was an open library for people and kids to sit and read whatever they wanted to while the right was for those who required audio books and those written in braille. The middle of the building had shelves of every single book genre that could possibly be named and then some. According to her files, they weren’t hiring anyone to work in a specific section without a degree in their literature. Even those working on the third floor would have a culinary degree. Mr Gold always wanted the best and from Belle’s prospective, that’s exactly what he was getting. She had been hired by some grace of will to be in charge of it all.

Although, not by herself to start out with. Three others were hired to help get things ready to set sail off the ground. Fa Mulan was in charge of those that didn’t speak English, having been someone that spoke three different languages. She had the reputation of being tough and no nonsense, but easy to work with if someone could handle that. Aside from her was Ashley Boyd in charge of the children’s section, but Aurora was filling in while Ashley was on maternity leave and planning a wedding. Neither one of these girls were too keen on working for Mr Gold, but apparently it was more than just Jefferson who owed him a favor. The only person that didn’t was Ruby, who surprised Belle by now being in charge of the third floor with her grandmother, Martha Lucas. Martha didn’t owe Mr Gold any favors, but she did need a new place to sell food seeing as her diner suddenly wasn’t doing to well. In her dislike of him, she suspected Gold. 

Aurora and Belle were photographing a selection of books to be used as category designations above the shelves to start with. Than Belle addressed Mulan to take over so she could go back and do research for the next shipment of books. Whoever had been over that before her had put them eight days behind schedule to opening on Black Friday. She ordered what they needed which would get there overnight and made runs to a few local libraries who had no issues donating things to fill their shelves. In turn, Belle gave the ones who agreed then a discount on future purchases to their employees. Then Martha phoned from upstairs to say that the meat hadn’t been frozen properly and they needed to get another shipment in. At the end of the day when all she wanted was to crawl in to bed with Gold for the rest of the week and never come out, he texted to let her know he had to be in Maine until late Saturday. Neil was getting engaged.

Her contact with Gold was confined to short text messages where he said he missed her and she said for him that she’d be thinking about him. Belle hoped he took it as a not entirely sexual thing and that was all. Things at the book shop went from busy to busier as they had to rush this thing in. The three of them and Granny and Ruby worked until wee hours of the morning all the way until Thursday. At some point during that, Ruby issued a notice that she was throwing a party at their apartment that Friday night. Belle had missed this or swept it under her other list of things to get ready for, until they were leaving together that morning. At this point they hoped they could make it at all. Belle had no idea how much work went into being over an entire business by herself. If she was desperate, she could call Gold when he got back. He’d know what to do and have it done quickly. But she didn’t want him in the space if it meant intensity for her co-workers. And she wanted to show that she could do this. 

By the time they got home it was ten o’clock and somehow people had been let into their place. As worried as Belle could have been, she laughed it off seeing Dorothy had taken care of everything. After a quick rounds of thanking people who congratulated her new job, seeing as the majority of them weren’t work friends or necessarily even invited, Belle changed into party attire. She rejoined to a party of music, alcohol, and casual talking. Everyone cleared out by one o’clock, the years of pushing toilets out into front lawns behind them. Dorothy and Ruby invited Belle to grab something to eat.

“I’ll stay and clean some of this up.” She denied, waving a half-inebriated arm. 

“Not all of it! I’ll be here tomorrow to help.” Ruby laughed, heading out the door. 

Belle did clean all of it. Her working days of playing maid to rich folks back home definitely paid off. Being active helped in calming down any hangover in the morning anyway. When her phone rang, she had gotten the majority of it picked up and cleaned save for any of the actual dishes. Most of the people were generous enough to use paper and plastic. She didn’t rush over to her phone anymore, quite the difference from when working with Regina and she would have swan dived to answer before it even rang. 

“Hello?” She answered with a yawn.

“Hey, sweetheart. Did I wake you?” 

Sweetheart? “No, I was just cleaning up the party. It’s messy.” 

“You sound tired. I just called to tell you I’m back in town and was wondering if you wouldn’t mind spending the night with me tomorrow? Stay over again, I mean.” Gold was nervous. She could hear it.

“I…” Belle sucked in all of her sober thoughts and nodded. “Yes. I’ll come over.”

“Oh! Amazing. I can’t wait to see you. I really missed you, Belle.”

“I missed you, too.” Belle hung up and flopped back on the couch next to a weird stain. 

“So, don’t kill me. I listened. I forgot my key and I listened.” Ruby confessed as she creaked the door open a little more.

“He’s being more affectionate lately. Things are moving quickly.” Belle confessed, rubbing her face and eyes. She realized then that decisions made tipsy and tired were not exactly her best ones. She did want to see him, though.

“Yeah, but you two are good together. Is that really a reason for you to hit the breaks?”

“I’ve done somethings with him and made choices I never would have with another guy only because I trust him. I’m comfortable with him. The week’s worth of being away had made things worse.”

“Look,” Ruby sat down for a moment to talk real with Belle. “If there’s one reason I’m still with Dorothy through everything we’ve been through together, it’s because I know I’m safe with her and I know that doesn’t make me weak.” 

Belle hadn’t expected any change between herself and Gold after a six year separation and now they were staying the night with each other not for the first time. This was what she had magically wanted to happen years ago. That didn’t mean she had to stop. She could do this with the help of a dress in Ruby’s closet, with her permission. She was going to show up looking like her best Aphrodite ready for sex.

She had a beautiful black tube dress with a small waist and boned bodice. Despite their being a difference in weight and height, that wasn’t the point. Beneath the dress she wore a corset which had been given as a Valentine’s Day gift from a far gone ex-boyfriend. It still looked good on her, added in with the silk thigh highs and no underwear. She left her hair long and loose so as not to forget any more bobby pins anywhere. Ruby yelled when Gold’s car was waiting down at the sidewalk for her. Belle picked up the overnight bag and hugged Ruby to thank her for the dress. Ruby warned her not to let him rip or get cum on it. Belle flushed with laughter, hoping their lovely neighbors couldn’t hear her. 

The driver, who she had seen before, was named Dove. He was nice and they made small talk about the weather and how beautiful uptown Boston was today. She refrained from making any comment about the universe working towards her mood. They drove up to a Victorian house shaded pink. She nearly laughed when Dove explained that they were there. She stepped up the few steps and knocked after waving Dove off. Another time she’d offer him a drink. For the time being, that wasn’t on the agenda. She knocked and opened the door when Gold called down from the upper floor of the two story house to make herself at home.


	10. Chapter 10

“Hello.” Eli Gold commented, coming down the stairs just as she closed the door behind her. He was standing more casual now and her brows furrowed seeing the cane. 

“Hi, what happened?”

The hand that wasn’t holding the cane fidgeted. Belle left her overnight bag on the sofa and walked forward thinking something was wrong. “You are seeing someone twice your age, dearie. Injury, long time ago. Acts up every now and then.”

“Are you alright?”

“Traveling just doesn’t bode well for a man my age.” 

Belle decided the best thing in this moment was for him to remove the coat that covered the dress. Just to show what she thought of being with a man his age. She stepped forward and kissed him until he got the hint and unbuttoned her. She smiled against his lips as his head turned to examine her. He received the full view of her cleavage balanced on the whim of gravity. A giggle escaped as he pulled her into his arms so faced she stumbled. She melted, holding him up and steady as Gold dropped the cane in order to hold her in his arms. He pulled back too soon, leaving her chest heaving already ready for more. Belle looked up to him as she knelt down at his waist to retrieve his cane. When she stood back up, she laughed noticing the smudged lipstick on his mouth.

“I can’t wait to get that all over you.” She beamed. She didn’t wipe it off, just straightened it up. “Do you want to show me around, or…?”

It was then that Belle took notice of the house she hadn’t paid attention to before seeing him. They were currently embraced in a small foyer of golden wood paneling on the walls which appeared to glow because of the bronze and ivory glass pendant fixture overheard. The floor was white and black check, all in marble. The door matched the paneling, which she appreciated. The checked marble from the vestibule continued into the larger interior foyer, but the walls were painted in bright white. A half bath stood open to the right they passed by as he showed her around. They walked through. He said every main room with a distinctive hint of disinterest. Three bedrooms one way, a media room and gym for when Neal was over, and a room intended for the housekeeper, but he mostly used them for storage. 

“That was is the master we should leave for after dinner and there is the library.” Gold explained with a bit of hope. Belle nearly bounced on her heels.

“It used to be a study,” He continued while reaching through the door and flipped on a light switch. He let go of Belle’s hand for her to explore.

The furnishings were worthy of an empire in her namesake. Floor to ceiling collection of gorgeous, leather bound books were embedded in the wall. She was entranced. “I knew there was a reason I was sleeping with you.”

“Feel free to borrow any you like. The best ones are in my room.” 

Belle knew she could have stayed there all day and thus opted out of spending their entire weekend checking out his library. Gold would have let her, too. For now they went out into the living room which looked just like a man who used to have family living here. It wasn’t as modern looking as the hotel had been. The couch, the sofa, the chairs and the table were all almost antique looking that very well could have been in his family for years. A gorgeous rug covered the center of the living room and the fireplace took her breath away. She wished she could have been a fly on the walls of the stores when he was shopping for these things. She loved everything, even the pink exterior paint of the house. It was perfect. 

Once more, Gold had to drag her away before she stood in awe all weekend. He led her through a wooden arch at the end of the living room where there was a dining table that sat eight. At the back of the house was the kitchen. He had been busy in there cooking dinner on a gorgeous counter top. Belle walked over and stood next to him to help and bum chopped vegetables off of his cutting board. He finally gave up and swiped sides so she would stop eating his inventory over his pan. They were having chicken parmesan with a chef’s salad. Or they were before she continued eating all of his vegetables. Belle retrieved the white wine from the refrigerator and poured them two glasses. She held his up to help hi drink. Watching him work, desire already in her blood solely from that kiss, she noticed the slight tremor in his hands. 

They sat at the kitchen nook instead of the dining room and she was impressed how good Gold was at cooking. They talked about work and how things were going in the book shop. She explained the ordeal that she was taking care of and he wouldn’t disclose who it was that managed the things before her. If it was personal, she could figure that meant it was Neal or maybe even Neal’s future wife. His girlfriend apparently had said yes and they left that at that. Nothing personal, she reminded herself. Which was hard to do considering there were pictures of, what she felt she could assume was, his son. Gold was a proud father, but there was a peculiar section of Neal’s life missing. There were photos all over from a baby up until he was about a young teenager starting high school. After that first day of school one, there wasn’t anything a little bit older. Not until it was Neal with a girl a little younger than him. That Gold family charm must be hereditary. 

“When you say you miss me, I get the feeling you weren’t talking about going to Maine.” 

Gold dabbed the corners of his mouth. “I can’t help think we missed an opportunity if I’d done things right six years ago.” 

Belle reached over and took his hand in hers. She laced their little fingers. “No matter what happens between us, we’ll remain on friendly terms.” 

“Deal.” He kissed her knuckles. She got up from her finished dinner and walked over to kiss him chastely before tugging on his hand.

“We’re not there tonight.”

Belle had no problem hanging around a step while walking next to Gold. He wasn’t slow, but that knee was really fucking with his brain. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder as though they were just taking a small little leisure stroll. She liked being with him. She could go anywhere in the world with him just like this. She kissed him before they entered into his room. Belle flipped on the light and her eyes were first drawn to the gorgeous box windows that gave him a wonderful view of Boston. One of the walls was covered with dark shelving and this was where all his favorite books lived. In the middle of them was a large, King sized bed. She felt a serious swoon coming on seeing his array of biographies and fiction sitting side by side as it really should be. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was his. She set him on the edge of the bed.

“I want to suck you off. May I?” 

“If you…if you want to.” 

“Only if you want me to. If you don’t, that’s okay. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with. You’re beautiful. I just want you to feel what I feel being with you.” 

Belle looked at Gold waiting for his response and it was in this moment she became a little bit emotional. She would do anything that he asked. He did things to her because it pleased them both and he treated her always like she was the center of his world. He had knelled before her, worshiped her body, enslaved to her as she was to him. It was then that she realized she had fallen for him. As Gold looked up from admiring what she’d worn to please him because she wanted to, his eyes, those perfect and beautiful warm eyes, wrapped their hold around her heart. Belle was in love with her boss. Talking about that right now while she was propositioning sucking his cock was not the moment. 

“Would it be okay if we didn’t do that tonight? With you out of this dress so you can breathe.”

Belle turned around and sat next to him on the bed so he could unzip it. Once the dress was gone, he chuckled a little sadly seeing the corset and the lack of underwear. He helped her out of that, they kicked their shoes off, and they laid back in the bed. She found comfort on Gold’s shoulder better than in her own bed. He let her unbutton his shirt so she could play in the thin chest hair. She nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder and pressed her body as close to his as she could possibly be.

“Being with you is the best decision I’ve ever made.” 

“I’m at your call. Whenever you need, I’ll be there.”

“Can I tell you something personal? Or is that breeching our code of honor.” 

Belle moved closer and leaned over him as she stroked his hair. Something was wrong. “You can tell me anything.” 

“You were looking at the portraits of Neal and I wanted to explain somethings. That way I can explain another thing.”

Gold was married before his current ex-wife. This was the woman who gave him Neal. She stayed, miserably, for fourteen years. One day Neal didn’t come home from school. When Gold called, they said his mother had picked him up. She kept him, traveling around the world with him and her new boyfriend, for ten years. She had a heart attack and died and, sadly, Neal was finally free. Gold found him bumbling around in Boston with a young woman named Emma who was there on business. She was from Maine and that’s where they moved to. When Gold married again to a woman named Cora who kept him busy and refused to move herself. This woman was also, as it turned out, Regina’s mother.

When the divorce came through, Gold bought H. Daniel’s at a price higher than Regina could refuse. He all but kicked her out and took over the company. The plan was to get Gold and Cassidy up off the ground and running without him there then go back to Maine now that he was free. But then Belle swooped in that first day. The woman he’d been looking six years for. He couldn’t let her go again, not when he felt so much deep regret. He found himself thinking about it the entire eight days they were apart from each other. Belle moved closer, not sure how to comfort him given everything that he’d just told her. Then something clicked for her. And maybe it was a little bit in arrogance, but she felt that she told him these things for a reason. A specific reason.

“Nothing is going to take me from you. If you go to Maine I….I understand. I’ll still be yours.” 

“Would you go with me?” 

“Not immediately? I’d need time. My friends are here, they’ve been my family.” She held him tighter now.

“I’ve never had anything that wasn’t ripped from me due to my own fuck ups. I would like you to eventually.” 

“You’ve got me now. You can keep me.” Belle smiled, hopeful that it would help. 

“For how long, Belle?”

Since when was he so existential? She lowered herself to kiss his mouth. “I love you. I genuinely am in love with you.”

That seemed to help. Gold pressed a hand into her back and kissed her fiercely. “I’ve loved you for six years when you were so outraged I didn’t like Austen novels and you were flying to a country where you knew nobody. I almost followed you to Scotland to have something with you, but you were so young. I couldn’t corrupt you.”

So they were in love. They were sleeping together without literally fucking around and holding each other and wanting to be together because they were in love. 

In the morning they had breakfast and showered together while doing nothing but helping each other actually get clean and a few stolen, heated kisses here and there. Gold in love was a little more affectionate, but Belle wouldn’t have noticed anything different had they not confessed to each other. Belle in love was reading him books and having conversations about if blue curtains meant anything symbolic or not.


	11. Chapter 11

Opening book store day was the craziest thing Belle had ever seen in her entire life. Gold was there walking around to make sure everything was going according to plan and give her a pat on the back of support while she helped the check out line. They sold roughly thirty four thousand dollars worth of books. Ruby had run out of one of their colas once, but it was fixed and replenished in less than five minutes with the top of the line soda machine. They stayed open from midnight as part of the grand opening until eleven o’clock that night. The Black Friday rush had come and gone before lunchtime, but it being an opening made them all push it. Her hired, degreed, professionals were perfect. For today only they had security guards walking around to make sure nobody broke somebody’s arm over a book. The primary workers snacked throughout the day and had chairs to sit on so they wouldn’t be on their feet all day. They got three different hour long breaks to let the others come in and learn the triad. Belle was in her element.

An orange beep on the control signaled Mulan needed assistance, that was her chosen color. Ruby and Martha’s were red, Aurora’s alternated between blue and pink and Belle’s was yellow. Belle waved over an employee to cover the counter while she went to see what Mulan needed.

At first she spoke her stress in complete Mandarin Chinese. She amended it when Belle only caught a few words that she didn’t think was translated right.

“The batteries are dying and the rechargeable ones aren’t ready.” 

“It’s fine. Just breathe. Tell me what you think needs to be done?” Mulan was ready to break things in her section with her hot tempered attitude. 

“Use it on the charger.”

“Great idea.” Belle looked at her schedule to see a red beep. “I gotta beam up to third floor. Buzz if you need anything but know it may take me a minute.”

Belle hurried but didn’t run so as not to cause any kind of panic. She hit the button in the elevator and kept on her perky ‘how may I help you’ face. A few of the customers were piled in the glass elevator with her and were talking about how Boston always needed a clean place like this. They probably didn’t even acknowledge that she was standing there or that she was running the entire show. Those small little appreciations felt so good. She paced herself over to Granny’s Diner and smelled smoke (why they were on the top floor near the ceiling) and saw some spills. On her way, she buzzed for janitorial to get on that as soon as possible. 

“Ruby, how are things going?”

“We’re out of diet and regular is spilling over. People are complaining about the tea.”

Belle furrowed her brows and called for someone to come attach the bags to the machines while she grabbed a paper cup to test the tea herself. It was perfectly fine, if a little lemon-y. She began making the tea quickly, a recipe from Granny, quadrupling the amounts to make four gallons of what they were requiring. Once it was done she began filling cups of ice and pouring the drink in to those unsatisfied. Once they were pleased, she got a call through the headset from Aurora. Belle waited until out of the food court before answering. 

“Belle, there’s a book on catalogue to be sold but I can only find it in the library.” 

“It was probably one of the ones that we weren’t able to get a shipment of until Monday. Sell it to them and put a coming soon sign on the counter.” 

“We’ve got two other copies?”

“Hold them back. We’ve only got thirty minutes to go before closing the doors, it won’t be that major.” 

Realizing it was ten thirty, Belle rushed over to the counter and hit a button. A banner fell down signaling eighty percent off for the next half hour. They were already at fifty percent before. She was in a deep mood for a yoga lesson after this. She was going straight to Gold’s tonight anyway which would be good for her. Belle couldn’t wait to do this every single day, which only made the decision of going to Maine with him permanently all that more difficult. She wanted to be with him every single moment, but she couldn’t uproot her life right when things were getting perfect professionally. She knew she shouldn’t have to choose between her career and her love life. She never understood why it was so difficult a decision on television series’ finales that Ruby loved. 

Belle went back towards the counter to continue running shop. She was in the middle of bagging a woman with blonde hair and thick black glasses when the woman was talking to her.

“I’m sorry? I was lost in focus.”

“You’re the one he has been seeing right? I’m Emma.” Emma greeted. It took Belle a moment to understand what she was talking about and who she was.

“As long as you’re not talking about Neal, then yes.” Belle was thankful Emma had been secretive about it. 

Emma shook her head, pony tail bouncing along. “He speaks highly of you. Neal wanted to come, but worried you may notice him and put on this face.”

“I would have definitely tried harder.” She admitted, sheepishly. 

“You’re a hard worker. He’d appreciate that you’re not loafing on the sofa.”

“So, wait. Does he know that the two of you are here? Because I don’t think I would have been invited over tonight if so.”

“He invited us. We thought you were going to be too tired to come over after working twenty three hours.” Realization then donned slowly on Emma’s face. “Do you mind if we go out together? Give them some time to catch up?”

“Yeah, of course. He’s been missing Neal a lot lately.” She confided. 

They talked between the dwindling down of costumers. It was Neal’s birthday in a few short days. Emma was pregnant, they were telling Gold today. She knew about Gold wanting to move back to Maine and planned to have the wedding next year or the year after so they could have their child and Gold could settle in. For Christmas, Emma was going to be too far along to travel and she had an idea the both of them could come up whether Belle was going to make the move or not. By that point Belle and Gold would be together just three months, but it did raise a few questions. They both knew they were going so fast, yet neither wanted to do anything to slow it down. Did they spend holidays together? Did they meet each other’s family like this? How serious were they actually? Belle had to remind herself that Christmas with Neal and Emma was just an idea for them to spend it together. Nothing permanent.

Emma drove Belle after the bookstore was closed and they did a cheer with white wine to celebrate a job well done. They’d have a proper party at another time when their hours were more normal starting that Monday. Belle had a half glass. She wanted to be completely sober to fall into bed with Gold tonight. Sex or not, she couldn’t wait for it. Emma let her go out of the car first while she parked, but Belle waited for her. They wouldn’t get much time like this to bond and Emma’s bullshit meter was phenomenal. They went by the drive through for food to bring back. The cashier was a sixteen year old with acne worse than his attitude and she called him on it. When Emma explained to Belle that she was a sheriff, it wasn’t surprising. Belle carried the food in to Gold’s house where their respected partners were passed out on the couch. 

She dropped the bags onto the counter when arms wrapped around her and stole a fry from the bag. “You're beautiful. I’m beyond proud of you. Let’s take this to the bedroom.”

“Your son is just in the living room. This isn't how I want to meet him.” 

Belle turned around and was met with his lips on hers. Gold was leaning her back, damn near ready to have her there against the island. She was definitely exhausted if this was turning her on so easily. Or it was that immeasurable power that he had. She was smiling when he drew back. She dumped their food on plates and brought it up following behind him. She undressed and fell into bed with him. She spent more time stifling her noises of delightful pleasure than eating while he kissed at her neck and praising her. 

“You worked so brilliantly an hour short of an entire day, so nothing tonight.”

“Everyone was asking where you were. ‘What kind of man doesn't show up to his own opening?’” Belle put on a deep throated pretentious voice. 

“I hope you didn’t look so angry then as you do now. There aren’t too many that have a nice thing to say about me.” Gold slipped an arm beneath her neck to wrap around her. She rolled onto her side with a groan, realizing then how sore she was.

“I was the picture of perfect customer service. But…” She hesitated, unsure of how to say this to him. “I know it won’t always be like that, it’s more than I think I could handle. There’s nothing intimate about it. I love it and I’m glad you brought the store to Boston, but it’s not what I’m looking for.”

“Belle French, are you quitting?” 

“There’s a cozy little place in Maine looking for a librarian.” She explained, nuzzling into his neck. “So, yes. I quit.”

“Are you…are you saying that you’ll go with me? What about your friends?”

“Ruby and Martha are moving there soon with Dorthy. It’s just something about it I can’t quite explain. I have to be there and I have to be there with you.” 

“I feel the exact same way. I’d bend hell and earth to be with you, Belle. I do love you.” Gold’s voice was now as though he weren’t quite sure that she did know that.

“More and more with every passing moment do I love you, Gold.” She kissed his mouth, hand smoothing across his chest. A tired giggle passed through her lips feeling the twisted and crinkled sheets. He was terrible at keeping this straight. “I may start calling you Rumple for what you do to these sheets, my love.”


End file.
